Villa Park Defense Engineers Upset of No. 1 Los Alamitos

Villa Park High School Coach Pat Mahoney zig-zagged across the field after Thursday night’s game in search of John Olea. After finding him in a crowd of Spartan players, Mahoney grabbed the 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior and lifted him off the ground.

“I love squatty linebackers,” Mahoney shouted.

And why not?

After all, it was Olea’s night. It was Mahoney’s night. And it was the night that No. 1 came undone.

A battered and vicious Villa Park defense did what has yet to be done this season. It shut down Los Alamitos’ vaunted offense when it mattered to give the Spartans a 24-21 upset victory in front of 1,200 at Veterans Stadium.

Los Alamitos came into the game as the No. 1 ranked team in Orange County, and had scored 87 points in its first two games.

At the forefront of the defense was Olea, who made the biggest play in a game filled with them.

In the second quarter, the Griffins (2-1) appeared to have the game well in hand. They led, 14-7, and were driving.

But on a first down play on the Spartan 30-yard line, quarterback Todd Gragnano’s shovel pass was intercepted by Olea, who lumbered 65 yards for the touchdown with 1 minute 46 seconds left.

The play brought the Spartans to life. Villa Park came out and scored 10 points in the third quarter to take a 24-14 lead.

Olea’s interception also seemed to rattled Gragnano.

Gragnano, considered one of the best quarterbacks in Orange County, had completed seven of eight passes for 111 yards before the interception. After it, he was three of 13 for 35 yards.

He also threw another interception in a crucial situation.

With 9:21 left in the game, the Griffins’ Erik Mitchell scored on a four-yard run, and Los Alamitos was back in the game, trailing 24-21.

Los Alamitos got the ball back quickly, after Hart Brown recovered a fumble on the the Villa Park 12.

The Griffins got as close as the two, but Los Alamitos was called for clipping on the play and was faced with a first and goal on the 17. One play later, Gragnano went back to pass, but was chased from the pocket. He lobbed the ball up just before being hit, and it fell into the arms of defensive back Carter Devol.

Villa Park (3-0) kept the ball out the Gragnano’s hands the final 6:24, even gambling on a fourth-and-inches play with the ball on the Spartan 14. Gary Bladow, who gained 82 yards in 19 carries, dove over the right side for two yards and the first down.